Horizon groaned glaring at the doorway, rolling over in his bed trying to ignore the knocking. Amber sat up beside him yawned and stretched. Whoever was on the other side knocked again, this time louder.
"Why are they getting us up? We went to bed over an hour ago." Horizon whispered angrily to his teammate. He glared daggers at the doorway, as if expecting literal daggers to manifest and stab whoever was on the other side.
Amber shrugged at him groggily, "No idea." She replied flopping onto her stomach, he rear end in the air as she stretched. She pushed herself up onto her fours with a yawn and walked to the door.
"Don't answer," Horizon groaned drowsily. He buried his head into his pillow and covered his head with his paws, "They'll go away if we don't answer." His complaint was muffled, and Amber ignored it. He looked up to notice Amber ignored his plea by staying on her path. Groaning Horizon stood and walked up behind Amber.
Amber sighed, rubbing her eyes one last time before she opened the door peeking out. Before Amber could see who it was Horizon shoved his head in the way of Amber's sight.
"What?" Horizon snorted groggily, his eyes narrowed and bored.
"G-Guildmaster!" Amber yelped surprised shoving Horizon aside, "What do you need s-sir?!" She asked standing up straight.
The Guildmaster was a tough looking Gallade, stoic in nature and known to be strict on rules and team positions, he was generally greedy at times as well. He meant well, but his methods were not great.
"Team Sunbreak," The Gallade started pushing the door the rest of the way open revealing Horizon sprawled out on the floor where Amber shoved him, "You two are needed in my office immediately."
"Yuhuh," Horizon yawned, standing up and pushing Amber aside. He stood in the middle of the doorway, leaning on the doorframe, "Going back to bed, G-night."
"Horizon, I will revoke your badge." Gallade threatened annoyed, kneeling down into Horizon's face. Amber glanced at her teammate worriedly.
"Yeah sure ya will Scissorhands," Horizon continued with an eye roll, "Ya know I'm human, that's the last thing you want to do," Horizon snorted indignantly, Horizon raised a paw to his chest, "Yah know when the public finds out this guild had a human go to it, it will be put on the map," Horizon leaned back into his face, "And we both know how much this guild needs new members and income."
Gallade frowned at him pitifully, "This isn't about that," He retorted, Strife stepped back from the Vulpix, "We have a very important mission for you two… you will be paid handily and will get the next month off from guild work."
Horizon stepped back as well looking at him skeptically, he sat down narrowing his eyes, "Go on…"
"Come with me to my office, my comrades and i will explain in greater detail," Gallade sounded, standing up and walking away, down the hall leading to his room without another word.
Amber peeked out after the guildmaster, glancing back at Horizon for a moment before following the guild master. Horizon let out a breath of relief and followed his teammate.
Needless to say, Horizon didn't like Strife much, they were always at each other's throats about something. Horizon would defy the Gallade whenever he felt it was necessary. With Horizon that could really mean anything he doesn't like.
The doorway to Strife's office was already open, the Gallade stood holding it open unhappily. Horizon smirked, sticking his tongue out at the Gallade as he walked past. Strife just closed his eyes and pretended to ignore him.
Amber rushed forward and sat politely in front of the guildmaster's desk, where a large Umbreon stood behind the desk frowning at the two. Beside the Umbreon a Glaceon stood a neutral look on her face as she regarded Amber.
They both wore golden crowns, with neatly embedded jewels into the surface of the gold. While the crowns weren't identical, they were close.
The Umbreon's crown was much more rigid and straight, four corners like a castle, then in the middle another arc up. There was one large yellow gemstone in the middle and two blue, small ones on either side.
Meanwhile the Glaceon's was much more curved with smooth arcs, set up in a similar fashion to the Umbreon's crown. The layout of the gems were the same, just different colors and types of gemstones. Purple instead of Yellow and a lighter blue rather than a darker variant.
Despite the obvious crowns on their heads, Horizon didn't seem to notice that they were rather important Pokémon.
"Oh great," Horizon huffed glaring back at Gallade, losing his smug look, "Who are they?"
"You're superior's," The Umbreon replied smoothly, his gaze locked onto the Vulpix. The Dark type gestured beside Amber with a paw, "Sit, we have much to discuss."
Horizon grumbled, his ears flattened against his head as he rolled his eyes, "Better have a good reason."
"We do," Umbreon retorted smiling at him. A simple yet direct answer from the Umbreon.
Horizon frowned in return. Before stepping forward and sitting beside his partner, albeit hesitantly.
"Team Sunbreak," Strife snapped at them , quickly getting their attention "This is King Mistral and Queen Gleam, they are here to send you two on something very important."
"Something? From Royalty?" Horizon asked suspiciously glancing at the two, "Since when does Royalty need two nobodies to do something?"
"Your majesties!!" Amber yelped at the same time bowing her head quickly at the two.
"Thank you, Amber dear," Gleam said softly a small smile tugged her mouth. The Glaceon then looked back at Horizon, "And you two aren't nobodies, human."
"You two," Mistral started loudly glancing at his queen with a thankful look, "Have been chosen to go on a special co-op mission, for this country's and possibly the world's protection." Mistral explained veering out over the duo.
Amber stood there, mouth agape at the king, probably thinking, "Us chosen! No way!!" She acted like a child sometimes when things like this happened.
"That's it," Horizon said loudly, standing up and turning back around, "I'm going back to bed."
Mistral ignored Horizon's retort while Gleam smiled nervously at him, Mistral continued, "This mission is very important, we have chosen you two because, One: Horizon is human, they have quite the success rate when it come to saving the world, and Two: Amber has connections to this." Mistral explained his voice unwavering, as he looked back and forth between the two members of Team Sunbreak. Horizon groaned after Strife blocked his path, turning around and glaring at the Umbreon.
"Our major source of info will explain the rest." Gleam piped up nodding at us. The two scooted aside slightly as if waiting.
Horizon glanced around, "but there's only five of us here, unless Scissorhands over here is your source of info." He pointed back to Strife with a careless wave of his paw.
Mistral laughed aloud at Horizon's question, Gleam smiled and covered her mouth, "Scissorhands, HA!" King Mistral chuckled loudly. Gallade glared at Horizon, with a look that did more than kill.
"No, no," Mistral sighed breathing deeply, regaining his breath and composure, "Our source is below us now."
As if summoned, Mistral's shadow floated up from the floor behind the two royals, red eyes gleamed (haha!) Out of the now living shadow. Amber and Horizon stared up in shock, Horizon feeling a small sense if deja vu.
"Greetings children," The shadow said its voice deep and menacing, "I am Darkari, the bringer of nightmares." If that entrance was without warning, Horizon might've screamed.
Horizon twitched staring at the shadow his face unreadable, "Something about you…" Horizon said stepping away from Darkrai, "is familiar…"
"I have not seen a human in over a thousand years," Darkari said coming out of the darkness of his shadow veil, revealing himself, "You look so much like Cinder, the human I knew former partner." Darkari commented judging Horizon.
"No wonder I don't trust you." Horizon snorted staring back at the Nightmare Pokemon, his eyes narrowed.
"I'd rather not fight and lose all my memories again," Darkari replied monotonously, rubbing his face with a ghostly hand, "You act much like her too."
The black Mon shook his head and continued on the main reason why he was here, "Your mission consists of traveling to a place called the Abyssal realm, where the dead go if they are not taken by the tree of life," Darkari states his head fell to the side slightly, "Basically hell. The mission is, find the lost group of soldiers, taken unjust-fully during the final battle between light and dark and bring them back, to be revived by the tree of life."
Silence.
Both Horizon and Amber stared awestruck and confused, Horizon more angrily and disbelieving. He was the first to talk, and he did so in bursts of sputters
"You want us, to break the laws of life and death!!" Horizon burst out slamming the floor, "Are you out of your mind!" He placed a paw to his head.
"So many lives were lost, those lives taken unjust-fully," Darkari informed them looking between the duo, "Some have become reverents, or undead versions of themselves, not exactly zombies, they remember everything from their last life, they simply lack life force, in return they have dark energy." Darkari explained calmly, "Those same remnants are the ones who are going to come and take over out world if we don't stop them."
"Amber, this is crazy," Horizon said blinking again. Be rubbed his head with a paw, "Th-This is a dream it has to be."
"I can save my parents…" Amber breathed quietly looking down at her paws. She then looked up at them, "You got it." She said determined.
"WHAT!" Horizon howled loudly and in disbelief, "You-I…" He stepped back again stuttering over every vowel.
"Great," Mistral said nodding at her, "Someone sees the bigger picture."
Darkari nodded in agreement, "We have gathered supplies for you two already, You two will set out tonight for Serene village on the water continent." The ghost type floated back a small ways as Horizon continued his disbelieving rant.
"This is insane," Horizon stated bluntly, "Abyssal realm? Are there any more 'Realms'?" He asked glaring up from his paws and at the royals.
"Why yes there are," Gleam answered politely, standing up from her former sitting position, "The hidden land, considered The realm of time, is where Dialaga controls, The Abyssal realm is the realm of death and destruction, Yveltal is supposed to control it and ever since hes lost control its been making the large army," Gleam took another breath before continuing, "The human world or 'Connection realm' is where Arceus picks out each human soul, The distortion world, the realm of balance that keeps our world, the realm of Hope, in check," She took another breath, "Woo sorry kids, the Realm of order, which is basically the Hall of Origin or where all legends meet, and finally, the infamous Realm of creation, which is believed to have the same material that started this Universe, giving life and shape to all."
"This is too much." Horizon groaned rubbing his head again. Amber listened intently to Gleams explanation ears perked and listening. She seemed genuinely interested in this sort of stuff, while Horizon moaned and whined at the mention of anything.
"Is there a way to all of these realms?" Amber asked curiously tilting her head, "Like easily, without magic gateways and stuff?" Horizon casted a look that screamed, "Don't you dare" at her.
"You can reach all the realms by the Sea of Time," Darkari explained not noticing Horizon's threatening glare, "While it has many names, it is the most dangerous way to travel from realm to realm." Darkari then shifted his body and the subject.
The Nightmare Pokémon dropped a set of items in front of both Horizon and Amber: A set of dark blue and bright green scarves in a stripe pattern, two shiny spherical pendants one red the other purple that gleamed like they were just polished, a set of cards and a small square set it seemed to go with, the cards had pairings of the sun and moon, at least the two they could see from the top of each pile, and a pair of cloaks, one white the other black.
Horizon glanced up and down at Darkari and their supplies, "Were those," He glanced up a him, then back down at the items, "Inside you?"
"These are our gifts to you two," Darkari began steadily ignoring Horizon's question, "Each item was held by a former Human at one point," Darkari admitted pointing to the scarves. He then down the list of items pointing at each when mentioned , "Those are Harmony scarves, they allow the wearers to evolve temporarily. The pendants allow the wearers to disguise themselves as reverents, the cloaks are to blend in by covering yourselves. Finally the cards are "Entercards," allowing for fast travel in between places, Mystery dungeons in particular."
Amber bowed her head looking over the items giddily, "Thank you very much!"
"This is insane…" Horizon muttered again staring at the floor, "This is insane," He repeated glancing up at Amber and breathing again before sitting up and scooting closer to her, "At least you'll be there," He sighed thankfully.
"You will need these on your journey in the world of the abyss." Mistral told them stepping back, "You have much to prepare for, we will leave tonight."
"Tonight?" Horizon groaned pitifully he dropped his head and moaned.
The Umbreon smirked and gestured to the two of them, "Tonight," He glanced at Gleam, then at Darkari, then finally back at Team Sunbreak, "Shall we?"
